Star Bright Angels
by PrincessSerenity1976
Summary: Xmas 3 shot set in my Lunar Princess universe. An all around, feel good, holiday story. Darien's home for Christmas this year and Andrew faces a huge decision. It's the first Christmas since Jess has been reunited with her past family. Sere/Dare Drew/Jess
1. December 23

**A/N **So here is my holiday story for this year. Unlike last year's story, _On a Silent Night_, I decided to split this one into three parts, each part covering one day. It is set in my Lunar Princess universe, but takes place before The Galactic Trinity, and revolves around Serena & Darien and Andrew & Jess. There's no enemy or scout action. It's just a warm and fuzzy story that I hope will bring a little cheer to all of you instead of all of the angst I normally write. Enough out of me! On with the show!

_**ENJOY!**_

Star Bright Angels

Part 1

December 23

"Here you are, Mr. Furuhata," the clerk said as he handed Andrew back his credit card and a small bag with tissue paper sticking out of the top and its handles tied with red and green ribbons. "I just know that your girlfriend will love it. Have a very Merry Christmas!"

Andrew took the bag with slightly shaking hands. "Thank you. I hope you have a Merry Christmas as well."

He stood there in a daze staring down at the bag, still trying to comprehend what he had just done. Was he doing the right thing? What if she didn't accept it? Perhaps he should have stuck with something simpler like a necklace or a pair of earrings. Was it too soon for this?

He took a deep breath as he thought of his girlfriend. Jessica Alexander had barged into his life like a hurricane about eight months ago in a swirl of honey kissed hair and deep ocean eyes that had pierced him to his very soul. She had rocked his stable, ordinary life to its very foundation and had swept him along on the tide of a life changing adventure.

When he met the eighteen year old art student and offered her a job working at his family's arcade, he'd had no idea that she was harboring a huge secret inside. She was a sailor scout on a mission to protect a princess from a long destroyed civilization and her crystal. As Sailor Shadow, she fought against the enemy that wanted to kidnap the princess and steal her power for themselves.

It wasn't that he hadn't been familiar with the world of the sailor scouts before. He was good friends with all of the scouts and was one of the few people that knew their secret identities. In fact, Sailor Moon and her protector, Tuxedo Mask were two of his closest friends. But up until that point in his life he had been on the outskirts of their secret double life.

And then Jess had come along and nothing had been the same again. He had felt a deep connection with her from the very beginning. There had just been something about her that had pulled him toward her like a powerful magnet. In the beginning he had been confused about why he had been so attracted to the energetic and sometimes hot-tempered blonde, but as time had gone on the mysteries had slowly unraveled.

It had been astounding enough when she had revealed herself to be Sailor Shadow, the mysterious fighter that had been helping out Sailor Moon and her friends in their recent battles. But less than twenty-four hours later he had been floored when he discovered that she was actually the reincarnation of Princess Melody Rose DeLune Terra, wielder of the Celestial Crystal and daughter of Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity in their past lives.

He had also found out that he had a past life in the Silver Millennium as well. He had been Motoki, son of Sailor Solara and the commander of the Lunarian royal army. He had lived on the moon and been best friends with the young princess. Of course as Mina, Sailor Venus, was fond of saying, they were more than just friends. They were soul mates. After they were both killed in Beryl's attack on the moon kingdom, they had been sent along with everyone else to be reincarnated on Earth, and eventually they found each other again.

"So what's in the bag?" a voice spoke right next to him.

He jumped at least two feet off the floor and turned to see who had snuck up on him without him knowing. "Darien! You scared the crap out of me!"

His dark haired friend chuckled. "Sorry about that. I had no idea you were so far out of it. So like I said, what's in the bag? Are you doing a little last minute Christmas shopping? I assume that it's for a certain someone special."

The sandy blonde blew out an exasperated breath. "Yes, Darien, it's for Jess. You can come right out and say it."

A smirk grew on the dark haired man's face. "I figured as much. This is a pretty exclusive place and I didn't think you'd be shopping for your mom or your sister here. I just got done picking up Serena's gift. Luckily hers was easy this year. She's had her eye on this diamond tennis bracelet for a while now. What about you? What did you get for Jess?"

"I, uh…well," Andrew stammered uncertainly.

Just then another customer walked in, and the door was caught by the wind and blown wide, causing the jingle bells above it to clang wildly.

"Whoa!" Darien exclaimed and grabbed Andrew by the shoulder as he started violently. "You sure are jumpy today. Is there something on your mind?"

"If you only knew," Andrew muttered dully.

Darien arched a brow. "You need to talk about it?"

Andrew waved him off. "Nah, it's my problem. I'll deal with it."

"Come on," Darien cajoled. "I've got time. How about we go grab a coffee and you can tell me all about what's got you so worked up?"

"Isn't that usually my job?" Andrew replied slyly. "I'm usually the one behind the counter listening to everyone else's troubles."

Darien grinned broadly. "Well today the tables are turned. You look like you've got something weighing pretty heavily on you. It'll do you good to let it out."

Ten minutes later the two were seated in a booth at a nearby coffee shop. Darien waited until the waitress had brought them their drinks before turning a serious look on his best friend sitting across from him. "Okay, spill! What's going on?"

Andrew sighed deeply before admitting, "It's Jess."

Darien looked surprised. "Are you two having trouble? She was over at the apartment yesterday and I had the feeling that everything was going great between you guys."

"Things are beyond great between us," Andrew reassured him. "That isn't the problem."

Darien cocked his head in confusion. "Then what is the problem?"

"I…it's just…argh!" he buried his face in his hands for a moment before pulling a small jeweler's box from the bag he carried and sat it on the table. "Look at that!" he demanded.

Darien slid the box over to him and raised the lid. After a moment of shock he muttered, "I should have known. Are you sure about this?"

"Yes!" Andrew exclaimed. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life! I just…it's complicated."

Darien remained silent as he looked down at the contents of the box. He couldn't deny that it suited his former daughter perfectly.

The ring was a beautiful deep blue sapphire that had been cut in a way that made it appear star shaped. The band was comprised of both silver and gold that had been braided together. It sparkled brightly in the low lighting of the café.

Darien slid the ring back over toward Andrew and took a sip of his coffee as he fought down the surge of anger and jealousy he felt. In this lifetime he shared no DNA with the woman who had been his daughter in his past life, but Endymion lived inside him and he balked at the idea of any man marrying his little girl. It didn't matter if it was his best friend and her soul mate, part of him wanted to yell _'Hell no!'_

He wished Serena were here. She had a way of pushing Endymion back into the far corners of his mind when he became riled up. She would also know the perfect thing to say to Andrew to make him feel better. It looked like he would have to wing it.

He settled back against the seat and studied his friend for a moment. "So you're going to ask her to marry you, huh? I can't say I'm surprised. I'm actually a little shocked that it's taken you this long to do it. I'd figured that you would have been down on one knee months ago."

Andrew gaped at him. "You don't think it's too soon? We've only known each other eight months."

Darien shook his head. "Only in this life. You've known each other far longer than that."

Andrew snorted into his cup. "That hardly qualifies. We were just kids when the moon kingdom fell. We didn't exactly have the time to build the kind of relationship that could constitute marriage."

"I disagree," Darien told him. "The time you spent together in the past laid the building blocks for what you have today. It's not like she's just some random stranger you met on the street. I'm sure a lot of people thought it was strange when I started dating Serena exclusively even though she was still in middle school and I was in college, but it just felt right. I had a feeling about her from the moment she threw that crumpled test paper and hit me on the head with it."

"It would have been nice if you had figured that out sooner," Andrew grumbled. "Do you know how many hours I spent cleaning up the messes you made in the arcade when you two got into your arguments?"

"Ah, those were the days," Darien sighed. "Sometimes I miss them."

"Well I don't!" Andrew exclaimed. "Have you ever tried to clean ice cream off a ceiling before?"

Darien chuckled. "I can't say that I have, but I have had to clean it off of the walls, the carpet, the sofa, and the curtains."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "I don't even want to know what kinky event led up to that mess."

Darien sputtered on the sip of coffee he had just taken. "It wasn't like _that_! It was a few years ago and I had let the girls come over one afternoon to study. Serena and Raye got into one of their squabbles and the next thing I knew the ice cream was flying. Get your mind out of the gutter!"

A big smirk crossed Andrew's lips. "Well how was I to know? You two are always pawing at each other, so I just naturally assumed the worst. My mistake."

"Like you and Jess aren't just as bad!" Darien fired back. "I'm surprised that the underage patrons of the arcade haven't turned blind from some of the public displays of affection that have occurred in that place. You two are pathetic!"

A loopy, slightly drunk look appeared on the sandy blonde's face. "Yeah we are, aren't we?"

"Whoa! Get your head back down out of the clouds!" Darien exclaimed. He pushed the almost untouched cup of coffee toward his friend. "Here, drink this."

Andrew dutifully took a sip of the beverage and tried to gather his thoughts. Then his earlier concerns invaded his head and he came crashing back down hard. He groaned and laid his head on the table. "What if she says no?"

Darien snorted at the idea. "Yeah right! That girl worships the ground you walk on and you know it! I don't think there's any force on this planet that would make her turn you down."

Andrew's head raised slightly and he stared at his friend with troubled eyes. "I know she loves me. I have no doubts about that. I don't know why she does. She's bright, beautiful, and loving. She could have her pick of any man in the world if she wanted to, but she chose me. But she's young and has her whole life ahead of her. She may not be ready for this step yet. What if she thinks I'm moving too fast and I run her off?"

Darien leaned across the table and clamped a hand on his friend's shoulder. "There's only one way to find out. You're just going to have to swallow all of your insecurities and ask her. I hope you have something special planned."

A bit of excitement sparkled in Andrew's hazel eyes. "Yeah. I have it all planned out. Now I just have to work up the courage to do it."

* * *

"What do you think of this one, Serena?" Jess asked as she walked out of the changing room and twirled in front of her friend.

Serena turned from the two dresses she was examining and tilted her head as she cast a critical eye over the dress the dark blonde woman was wearing. "Well, the style is nice, but the color…"

"It's hideous," Jess finished dully. "Face it, I just can't pull off green. My coloring is all wrong for it." She plucked at the pleated skirt of the holly green dress. "So much for wanting to look festive. I should probably just stick with my old faithful blue dress. It's never let me down before."

"But it's Christmas! You have to have a new dress to celebrate. It's our first Christmas together since we've been reunited and that makes it special," Serena insisted. "Now go try on the other one you picked out. Maybe it will be the one."

Jess turned and huffed. "It will be just as big of a disaster. It may be a lighter shade, but green is still green."

Her former mother crossed her arms and tried to look stern. "Just try on the darn dress."

"Okay, okay," Jess grumbled as she went back into the changing room. "You don't have to be so pushy. Why did we wait until so late to find dresses for the party again?"

Serena leaned against the wall next to the door. "Because our stupid professors kept us so busy with work and studying for exams that we haven't hardly had a chance to breath for the past month, much less shop."

"True," Jess agreed, her voice muffled by the dress she was pulling over her head. "Thank goodness for online shopping or I would be in a panic right now. What did you get Darien for Christmas?"

Serena fiddled with the ends of her hair. "I couldn't come up with one thing in particular, so I picked up a bunch of little things I thought he might like since he starts his new job at the hospital in a couple of weeks. I found this awesome tie that matches his eyes perfectly and a really nice pen set for his desk when he gets his office. I also got a book that I caught him looking at in the bookstore last week. Then Amy's mom helped me out by telling me about this website that she orders her lab coats from, so I ordered him two and had them embroidered with his name."

Jess giggled. "Dr. Darien Shields, it has a certain ring to it."

"I know, right," Serena agreed. "I can't believe he finally made it. He's been working for this as long as I've known him. I always knew that he would succeed, but seeing him walk across that stage last week at his graduation made it a reality."

"It was a great night," Jess commented, her voice muffled again as she pulled another dress on. "I thought Andrew looked so good as he accepted his degree. My baby, the business tycoon; who would've thought it? Serena, this dress isn't going to work. I look like Kermit the Frog's twin sister."

"It can't be that bad," Serena said in exasperation. "Come out and let me see."

"Not on your life!" Jess squealed. "I'd rather let Nebula slice me into tiny, unidentifiable pieces than be caught dead in this…_thing_! I give up! I'll just stick with what I have in my closet."

A flash of bright material caught Serena's eye and she wandered over to a rack full of clothing waiting to be returned to the sales floor. She pulled it off the rack and her eyes took on a gleam of satisfaction. A quick check of the tag assured her that it was the right size.

"Don't give up just yet," Serena called to Jess as she hurried back to the dressing room door. "I found one more that you just have to try on."

"Why bother?" Jess groaned. "Everything looks like crap on me. It's probably best to throw in the towel before I suffer any more humiliation."

"Just humor me, please," Serena begged. "This one's different."

There was a long sigh and then the door opened a crack. Jess stuck her hand out. "Fine! Give it to me."

Serena handed over the dress and then returned to studying the two dresses she was having a hard time deciding between. "So what did you get Andrew?"

A giggle came from behind the door. "He's been so cute about the whole thing. He told me that he didn't want anything for Christmas except me. But I had to get him something, so I got him a new laptop to replace that dinosaur computer of his. You know his dad is going to let him start running the arcade after the first of the year, so I thought it would be useful. Darn it! I can't reach the zipper on this thing."

The door opened and Jess presented her back to Serena. "Help a girl out, would ya?"

Serena hurried over and slid the zipper up then demanded, "Turn around and let me see."

When Jess swirled around, Serena clapped her hands together excitedly. "I think we struck gold on this one!"

"Do you really think so?" Jess squealed as she turned to the full-length mirror. "I don't know. It's different than anything I've ever worn."

"It's perfect!" Serena gushed. "I don't think even Mina could have come up with anything better. And Raye will be beyond jealous."

Jess smoothed her hand down the skirt. "It is pretty. I'll probably freeze to death in it though."

"Don't be silly. It may be a little provocative, but it still covers more than our fukus," Serena commented in a whisper.

"That's true," Jess agreed as she studied her reflection from different angles. The dress was bright red silk and clung to her body like a second skin. It was sleeveless with a high, Chinese style neckline and had delicate embroidery in gold and green around the collar. Tiny silken threads in the same gold and green ran lengthwise through the dress and created shimmering stripes when the light hit them right. The skirt ended a few inches above the knee.

"I think I'm going to get it," she declared with a grin. "It definitely has a more Christmassy look to it than anything I own."

"It's perfect!" Serena said happily. "Now I just have to decide which one of these dresses I like more. I'm leaning toward this one." She held up a dress of white velvet that had a knee length skirt and long sleeves with dainty snowflakes in ice blue around the hem.

Jess snorted. "Boring! That dress is so typically you. Come on, Serena! If I can step out of my comfort zone then you can too."

Serena's eyes went wide. "What do you mean?"

"I mean this shopping trip isn't over yet," Jess said, grabbing Serena by the arm and dragging her to the same rack her dress had come from. "We are going to that Christmas party tomorrow night and we're both going to shine!"

Serena cringed away from her. "You're scaring me. You've got that crazy look in your eyes and I don't like it."

A positively diabolical smile appeared on the other woman's face. "Do you trust me, Serena?"

"Ye…yes," she stammered.

"Good! Then roll with me here," Jess replied, reaching for a dress that had caught her eye.

Serena's mouth fell open. "No! No, no, and no! I am not wearing that."

"Trust me," Jess purred, holding the dress in front of Serena and turning her to face the mirror. "You can pull this off. Darien's jaw will be dragging the floor and leaving a trail of drool behind when he gets a look at you in this."

Serena's eyes began to glow as she began to picture herself actually wearing the dress. "Let me try it on and we'll see where it takes us."

* * *

Andrew shook his head to rid his hair of the snow that was falling as he stepped inside the arcade. He grinned as he unwound his scarf and let the familiar sounds and smells wash over him.

"Hey dad!" he called out to the man behind the counter.

Andrew Sr., known affectionately as Mr. Andy to all of the regular arcade customers, looked up from the crossword puzzle he was doodling on with a broad smile. "Hey Drew! I was wondering where you were keeping yourself today. It's been quiet around here without your yapping."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure you've been heartbroken. Do you know if Jess is upstairs?"

Andy smiled knowingly at his son. "Yes she is. She came in a little while ago all aflutter about something. Looked like she had been shopping. But she and Serena were kind enough to take pity on this old man and join me for a late lunch unlike my ungrateful son who hardly has time to say hello to his father anymore."

Andrew hung his head and grumbled. "Come on, dad! It's not like I've been avoiding you or anything. I've just been busy."

His father roared with a sidesplitting, gut-busting laughter. "Don't take it so seriously, boy! I was just joshing you. I know you've been busy with finishing up with school and heaven knows I can understand the allure of a beautiful woman. All that Jess has to do is walk through this arcade and you can feel the wind from the heads whipping around to watch her. You got yourself a looker there, son."

"Gee, thanks dad. That makes me feel loads better," Andrew snarled under his breath as he walked behind the counter.

Andy flicked a dishtowel at him. "Don't get your hackles up. I was just making an observation. Besides, that girl can take care of herself. I told you how she handled that punk that was in here harassing that girl a couple of weeks ago. She dragged him to the door and pitched him right out on his rear like he was nothing more than a sack of leaves. It caused quite a stir."

Andrew arched a brow at him. "Is mom aware of how enamored you are of _my _girlfriend? She may have something to say about that you know."

"Ha ha, very funny," Andy replied dryly. "Your mother knows that she has nothing to fear. She's had my heart from the moment she turned those hazel eyes of her on me. Even after all of these years she's still the love of my life."

"Wow, that's…deep for you," Andrew said in shock. He had always known that his parents were crazy about each other, but he'd never heard his dad speak like this. It was almost creepy.

He edged around him carefully and headed for the office. He was aware of his father following him and gritted his teeth.

"What are you doing?" Andy asked as he watched his son dial in the combination for the safe.

Andrew blew out a breath. "I'm locking up Jess's Christmas gift. I don't want anything to happen to it and I sure don't want her to find it before I'm ready to give it to her."

Andy whistled when he saw the name on the bag. "It must be pretty important to come from that particular shop. They do some of the best jewel work I have ever seen. That's where I got your mother's engagement ring you know."

Andrew's hand paused for just a moment. "Oh really. I didn't know that."

Andy nodded. "Yep! When I decided I was ready to ask her to marry me I knew that no ordinary ring would do. I had to have something special. Have you ever had a good look at that ring? It cost me a small fortune."

Andrew chuckled as he thought about the delicate ring that had resided on his mother's left hand for as long as he could remember. It was a princess cut ruby with a smaller diamond nestled up on each side of it all set into a platinum band. "Yeah. I imagine it did. But it suits her perfectly."

Andy answered with a chuckle of his own. "Yes it does. So am I allowed to see your purchase?"

Andrew hesitated for a long second before he removed the small box from the bag and handed it to him.

His father opened it carefully and gazed at the sapphire ring for several long moments before closing it again and giving it back to him. Then he clasped his son's shoulder tightly. "Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that you are an adult now. I feel like all I have to do is blink my eyes and you'll turn back into that precocious little boy, sitting out there in the arcade, pounding away on one of the video games and downing milkshakes. But then reality intrudes and I realize that you are grown. And now you've found the woman that you want to share your life with. It's a defining moment for you, and I'm proud of you."

Andrew was embarrassed to feel tears prick his eyes. "Thanks dad. That means a lot to me."

Andy gave his shoulder a little shove. "Now get that ring locked up and then go spend some time with my future daughter-in-law. I'm sure she's waiting for you."

Andrew put the box back in the bag and then set it in the safe before closing the door and making sure that it was locked. "I'll see you later, dad," he said jovially and headed for the door.

"Drew," Andy called after him. "I only have one thing to say. I wouldn't normally say this, but considering Jess's parents aren't here I feel like I should. Take care of her, okay."

Andrew smiled at him. "Don't worry, dad. I'd give my life for her." And then he hurried from the office and up the stairs to the apartment that he shared with the woman that he hoped would soon become his fiancé.

He unlocked the door and slipped inside quietly. The late afternoon light barely lit up the silent living room. He heard faint music coming down the hall and followed it, knowing what he would find.

Sure enough, when he reached the door of what had once been his spare bedroom and had now been converted into Jess's studio, he found her hard at work at an easel that she had set up in front of the window that looked out over the snow covered park just across the street.

He stepped up behind her and looked over her shoulder at the perfectly idyllic winter scene that was coming to life on the canvas. The leafless trees and glittering snow seemed so real that he felt like he could reach out and touch them and they would be real. The people that dotted the landscape, the strolling couple holding hands and the group of children wildly participating in a snowball fight, seemed so lifelike that he wouldn't have been surprised if they had sprung to life.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Jess murmured in a slightly husky tone.

He chuckled softly and wrapped his arms gently around her waist and laid his chin on her shoulder. "I always love watching you work. You are so talented."

Jess turned her head slightly to smile at him. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she told him. "It's nice to work on something just for fun instead of having to do it for an assignment. I'm glad school is out for break. I feel like I've been running nonstop lately."

Andrew nuzzled her neck lightly. "You and me both. I've had a hard time figuring out if I'm coming or going the last few weeks. I saw that one of the networks has a bunch of the old Christmas shows coming on tonight; Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch, and some others. I was thinking that I'd make us up some snacks and we could fire up the Christmas tree lights and spend the whole night vegging on the couch."

She brushed her nose against his in an Eskimo kiss. "That sounds like a plan. Let me rinse out my brushes and clean up a little and I'll come join you."

He kissed her for several long seconds and then released her. "I'll be waiting for you."

* * *

Darien carefully balanced the pizza box in one hand as he used the other to slide his key into the door lock and push the door open. "Serena, I'm home."

The result was instantaneous. There was a squeal of excitement and then a thump as she jumped from the couch and flew into the entry hall in a swirl of golden hair that she had left down after her bath to dry. It hung a few inches past her hips in still slightly damp waves and curls.

Darien grinned at her. "Cute pajamas."

She scowled at him and plucked at the hem of her shirt. "I was cold."

He laughed as he walked into the kitchen. "I didn't mean anything bad by it. You look comfy."

Serena followed him, her head down as she stared at her pale pink flannel pajamas that were dotted with little Santa Clauses and reindeers. "I look like a little kid," she grumbled.

He set the pizza down and turned to her. "No you don't. You look like my Serena. I don't blame you for putting on something fuzzy and warm. It's quite cold outside. So did you get any shopping done today?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Yes I did. Jess and I met up earlier. We didn't have the stamina to brave the mall, so we stuck to the smaller shops. I bought a new dress for the Christmas party that the scouts and generals are throwing tomorrow night."

Darien smiled as he filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove. "I'm sure you'll look as lovely as always. You always do."

"Oh, I don't think you'll be disappointed," Serena said in amusement as she thought about the dress that she had let Jess talk her into buying.

"I never am," Darien replied as he pulled two cups from a cabinet. "So are we ready for our yearly tradition?"

Serena hopped up on the counter with a grin. "The tree is lit and the Christmas CD's are loaded in the stereo. I was just waiting on you."

A feral grin appeared on his lips as he stepped between her parted legs and pulled her close. Ever since Serena had come crashing into his world five years before, they had started a tradition. On the night before Christmas Eve and before they got swept up into the whirlwind of being with friends and Serena's family, they always took time to just spend some quality time in each other's presence and enjoy the holiday spirit.

"I'm here now," he said softly.

She smiled angelically at him. "Yes you are."

Unable to fight the pull, he swooped down and took her lips in an urgent kiss. She responded immediately and wrapped her arms tightly around him as she parted her lips to his. She grew lightheaded as his tongue stroked softly against hers.

The whistle of the teakettle had Darien pulling back somewhat reluctantly. He placed one last butterfly kiss on her glistening lips as he pulled her from the counter and set her on her feet. "Go ahead and take the pizza into the living room. I'll bring the cocoa."

She grinned cheekily and grabbed the cardboard pizza box. "Okay, but hurry up. You don't want it to get cold."

"I'll be right there," he reassured her.

True to his word, a few minutes later he entered the living room to find Serena nestled into a nest of pillows and blankets that she had arranged on the floor next to the seven foot tall Christmas tree that she had deemed to be "the one." It had taken trips to three different lots before she had found it. It looked the same as a hundred other trees that he had seen, but when it came to the holidays he always deferred to her. Christmas had always been just another day to him until he had met her, so he considered her an expert when it came to what was "perfect."

He smiled at the way the tiny multicolored lights played over her porcelain skin and shining hair as he set the cups on the coffee table and walked over to flip the stereo on. The soft swells of Christmas music filled the room as he settled down next to her.

"Yay! Let's get this party started!" Serena cheered as she flipped the box open and grabbed a piece of steaming pepperoni pizza, wrinkling her nose as he selected a slice from the half of the pie that was supreme and covered with onion, bell pepper, and all of the other things that she swore ruined a good pizza.

"Mmm…" she moaned as she bit into the saucy, cheesy, melty gooeyness. "I've been looking forward to this all day. Lunch feels like it was days ago."

He chuckled at the thought of her seemingly endless appetite. "I'm sure whatever restaurant you terrorized a few hours ago had to run out and restock when you were done with them."

She pitched a pillow at him. "Don't be a jerk! I can't help it if I have a healthy appetite. And for your information Jess and I had lunch at the arcade with Poppa Andy and he said that he liked to see girls that didn't stick with salads and constantly count calories."

He laughed and reflexively caught the pillow without thinking about it. "Don't get so bent out of shape, Meatball Head. I'm just picking on you."

She growled low in her throat. "I'm not a Meatball Head!" she exclaimed, pointing to the top of her head. "Do you see any meatballs here?"

"No, but I was speaking metaphorically," he said with a smirk. "Forget that I said anything and eat your food before it gets cold."

She stuck her tongue out at him and took another big bite. After she swallowed she asked, "So what did you do today? Were you out enjoying your temporary freedom between school and work?"

He reached for another slice. "Yes. I had a few errands to run and then I ran into Andrew while I was out. We went for coffee and that led into lunch. We just hung out for a while. We haven't been able to do that in ages."

He purposefully didn't mention the conversation that he'd had with his friend or the ring that Andrew had bought. Andrew had begged him to keep the secret, scared that if too many people knew what he had planned that someone may let something accidentally slip and Jess would find out.

"Sounds like you had fun," Serena commented, starting on her third slice. "It's nice to have this little break. Things have been so busy lately that I feel like I haven't seen you at all, despite the fact that we live in the same apartment. Between you finishing medical school and me dealing with term exams it's been crazy."

"Yeah, it has," he agreed.

They spent the next several minutes in idle chitchat as they finished their meal. Once the pizza had been thoroughly demolished and the cocoa had been drunk, Darien lay back against the blankets and pillows and opened his arms.

Serena was in them in an instant, cuddling up against his side as she laid her head on his shoulder. She sighed, "I missed this last year."

A wave of guilt hit him. Last year he had been away at Harvard. "I'm sorry I didn't come home. I was so buried with work that my professors had given over vacation that it just made it hard to get away."

"Shh," she shushed him gently, laying two fingers against his lips. "You don't have to apologize. I was the one that insisted that you go, remember? So don't feel guilty for not being here. I knew that there was the possibility of you not being able to make it home when you left, and I was fine with it. The important thing is that you're here now and we don't have to worry about being separated ever again."

He shook his head. "No, Never again." Then he bent his head down to capture her lips in a sweet, passionate kiss.

The outside world melted away until it was if they were the only two people left on the planet. When they broke for air, Serena gazed at him with softly shimmering eyes.

"I love you," she whispered softly.

He rolled over until his body was hovering over hers. "I love you too," he replied huskily.

And then he dove in for another kiss.

**A/N **Part 2, December 24, will be out soon. I hope you enjoyed this one. Please leave me a review and tell me what you thought. Happy Holidays! Lots of love and hugs!

~Sere~


	2. December 24

**A/N **Thank you everybody for the wonderful response to this story. I wanted to have this up sooner, but as I said in my last update of GT, my laptop is out of commission right now and it's seriously cut into my writing time since I'm back to using my family computer. It stinks, but I'm dealing with it…for now. Anyway, I want to give out some hugs to everyone that was nice enough to review Part 1. BIG HUGS TO:

**Atem's Sister Atea**

**anime-lover10**

**serenity-cosmos-10**

**SlackerDee**

**Puella Pulchra**

**Seredhiel05**

**Chibi Kitt**

**GoldenDragon326**

**lilcala**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**Fedski**

**MeganLeBlanc**

**Sailor Phoenix 1997**

**Tiny2008**

**jade2nightwing**

**sunbeam07**

**sabina21**

**SailorMercuryROCKS**

**mangamania**

**chimichurri**

**KageNoNeko**

Thank you so much everybody! Now I'm going to let you get on with Part 2!

_**ENJOY!**_

Star Bright Angels

Part 2

December 24

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Andrew came awake slowly, wondering what that persistent noise was that was interrupting the wonderful dream he had been having. He lay there, disoriented, trying to figure out why he was on the couch in his living room instead of in his bed.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

There was that sound again. Belatedly he realized that the sound was someone knocking on his door. He went to sit up, only to find himself weighed down by a very warm, and somewhat heavier than normal, blanket. A living, breathing blanket.

Jess was splayed out across his chest, her long honey hair half hiding her face and her ear lying right above where his heart was. Her long legs were entwined with his and the tiniest of snores escaped her after every breath that puffed past her slightly smiling lips.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Drew! Damn it! Open the door! I know you're in there," his sister's muffled voice yelled from the other side of the door.

He carefully slid out from under Jess and covered her with a blanket as she murmured in her sleep and snuggled into the warm indentation his body had left in the couch cushions. He spied his jeans that had been hastily discarded the night before and pulled them on before stomping to the door and opening it.

"What!" he whisper yelled.

Lizzy stared at him wide eyed for a moment before she smirked. "Couldn't you at least put a shirt on before you answered the door? Honestly, the last thing I want to see, especially on Christmas Eve morning, is my half naked brother. A girl could go blind around here."

"Ha, ha!" Andrew replied dryly. "What do you want, Liz?"

She rolled her hazel eyes. "Geez! For a guy that's getting some on a regular basis you sure are in a bad mood. It's Christmas Eve, dummy! Why do you think I'm here?"

Andrew slapped a hand to his forehead. "The breakfast! I can't believe I forgot!"

"Bingo, buddy! Nice to see you haven't gone completely brain dead," Lizzy intoned sarcastically.

Although the arcade was officially closed for the day, Andrew's parents had started a tradition years before of cooking a huge breakfast on Christmas Eve morning and inviting all of their friends to it. The list had grown over the years as both Andrew and Lizzy had started inviting their friends as well, and now it wasn't unusual for the arcade to be as packed as it normally was on a Saturday afternoon.

"Just be glad I'm the one that came up here and not mom," Lizzy continued. "She was really pissed about an hour ago when she tried to call you and didn't get an answer, but dad calmed her down and told her to let you sleep for a little while longer."

Andrew ran a hand through his hair. "Look, just go down and tell them to give me fifteen minutes to grab a shower real quick, okay."

Lizzy shrugged. "If you say so. By the way, have you been working out? You look kinda buff. Who would've thought that my scrawny nerd of a brother was hiding an impressive physique behind his arcade apron?"

Andrew laughed and tickled her ribs, causing her to squeal. "Get out of here, you little pest! I'll be down soon."

Lizzy scampered away laughing as he turned back into the apartment and closed the door behind him. His eyes went immediately to the couch and saw Jess sitting up with the blanket draped around her, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning," he said warmly as he approached her.

She gave him a sleepy smile. "Good morning. I guess we overslept, huh?"

He glanced at the clock. "Not by too much. We still have time before anyone shows up."

"Good," she groaned as she got up off the couch. "I need time to get some caffeine in me and wake up before dealing with the whole motley crew."

Andrew caught her as she stumbled. "I was about to go take a shower. Would you care to join me?"

Jess was acutely aware of his bare chest and her unclothed state under the blanket. She tried to fight down a blush she felt rising, but felt her cheeks burn anyway. She pushed away from him with a short laugh. "Oh no you don't! I know for a fact that if I get in the shower with you that we'll never make it downstairs before this afternoon. Having your sister knocking on the door is one thing, but if we don't get our butts in gear your mother will be next. I love your mom to death, but she can be one scary woman when she wants to be."

He snagged her around the waist and pulled her back against him. "But think of the good we'd be doing for the environment, conserving water and all. I promise I'll be good." He chuckled as her already pink face flushed bright red. "You are so adorable when you blush."

She buried her flaming face in his chest. "Oh hush!" she muttered. "Don't you dare laugh at me right now."

He stifled his laughter and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "Baby, I'm not laughing at you. I just can't help but find that streak of innocence in you irresistible."

Jess pushed her embarrassment into the back corners of her mind and leaned back in his arms. "Fine! I'm going to take a shower. You can come if you want. But if you let one finger stray out of line I'll…I'll…I don't know what I'll do, but I'll make you sorry. We have to go downstairs and help your parents."

Andrew kissed the tip of her nose and then let her go. "Lead the way, princess."

She tried to glare at him, but he could tell that she was struggling to hold back a smile as she whirled and strode as gracefully as a queen down the hall. He waited only a few seconds before he followed her.

* * *

"Merry Christmas Eve," a voice crooned in Serena's ear as fingers gently brushed loose pieces of hair away from her face.

"Mmm hmm…" she mumbled, still more asleep than awake as she rolled over and tried to settle back into sleep. But a few seconds later the words she'd heard finally sunk into her foggy brain.

Her eyes popped open as she sat and gasped, "It's Christmas Eve!"

Darien chuckled. "I do believe that's what I said."

She was suddenly wide awake. "It's Christmas Eve!" she shrieked in delight and threw herself at him, knocking him over on his back.

He laughed and pushed away a cloud of golden hair that had fallen over his face. "Now if only it was as easy to wake you up when you have a class."

She stuck her tongue out at him, and then giggled. "It's not that hard to wake me up anymore, is it? I thought I'd gotten much better over the years."

He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Oh you've gotten better. You only sleep like a comatose person now instead of a dead one."

She slapped at his shoulder. "You're picking on me, but I don't care. Nothing can get me in a bad mood today."

"Okay, okay," Darien replied and kissed the tip of her nose. "But as much as I would love to spend all day here with your warm, wriggling little body on top of me like this, I'm afraid that your good mood will disappear pretty quick if you miss out on the Furuhata's annual breakfast."

Several things clicked in Serena's mind at the same time. First was that she and Darien were splayed on the floor of their living room. Obviously they had never made it to bed the night before.

Number two was the fact that Darien was freshly showered and fully dressed while she was wearing nothing but a blanket. She couldn't help but smile at the memories of the night before. She had been looking forward to last night so much over the last hectic weeks, and she hadn't been disappointed.

Thirdly, her eyes went to the clock on the entertainment center and a startled squeak escaped her when she realized that they only had an hour until they would be expected at the arcade.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" she squealed. "You're lucky I took a bath and shampooed my hair last night or we would be in major trouble. Do you know how long it takes me to wash and dry this mop? At least now I can get away with a quick shower without doing my hair."

She was off of Darien in a flash and running down the hall toward their bedroom. Darien chuckled and shook his head before getting up to follow her. He stood in the doorway to the master bathroom and watched in amusement as Serena proved yet again why some of the girls had nicknamed her Speedy Gonzales in middle school. Quick as a flash she had the water in the shower on to warm up and was busy twisting up her hair to shove it under a plastic shower cap to keep it from getting wet.

"Slow down, Sere," he cautioned her when she almost slipped while jumping into the shower. "We're not running a marathon or anything. And Mr. Furuhata always makes enough food to feed all of Juuban and Azabu combined, so you're not going to go hungry."

"Oh shut up!" she snapped, her words a little garbled from the water. "This doesn't have anything to do with the food. Okay, maybe it has a little bit to do with the food. But you know I always like to get there early and visit with the Furuhatas before they get crowded."

Darien snorted. "No you like to get there early so that you can lick the batter out of the bowls while they cook. Admit it!"

He heard her sniff. "I admit to nothing! I don't think I like what you're implying. You make it sound like I value my stomach over my friends. I can't help it if Poppa Andy always lets me lick the bowl when he makes his double chocolate chip muffins. It's kind of a tradition now since I've been doing it as far back as I can remember."

Darien grinned and leaned up against the doorframe as the citrusy scent of her shower gel tickled his nose. "You might have some competition this year. I think Jess has taken your place as the favorite adopted daughter of the Furuhata clan."

"Ha!" Serena barked. "That's only because she's everything but engaged to Drew. Speaking of which, I wonder when that boy is going to get up off his butt and ask her to marry him. Jess claims that there's no hurry because she wants to finish school first, but I don't see any reason why he shouldn't go ahead and put a ring on her finger. It might help deter some of the guys that constantly follow Jess around campus. Did you know that one guy actually had the nerve to ask her out last week? She turned him down of course. But I thought it was pretty gutsy of him since it's common knowledge that she and Drew are together."

Darien's grin grew bigger at the thought of the sapphire ring that was currently in Andrew's possession. His friend would be staking his claim soon enough, but Serena would find that out when the time was right. "I'm sure they'll make things official between them eventually. Besides, they've only been together for eight months. Give them some time."

The water turned off and Serena's head appeared around the shower door. "Pass me my towel, please." She took the pink, fluffy towel he handed her and began to dry off. "Sure, they may have only been together eight months, but it may as well be eight years. They know each other as well as you and I do."

Darien nodded. "That's true, but give poor Andrew a chance to get his head on straight. He just graduated from college and he has a lot of aspects of his life to line out. I'm sure Jess figures in there somewhere."

Serena stepped out of the shower with the towel wrapped around her tightly. She eyed him suspiciously as she pulled the shower cap from her head. "Do you know something that I don't know?"

He was careful to keep his face blank. "No. I'm just saying that they have plenty of time."

She continued to stare at him for several more long moments before she shrugged. "You're right. I guess it's just the romantic in me coming out. I want everyone to be as happy as we are."

He snagged her around the waist and pulled her close to him. "As happy as we are, hmm? Well do you know what would make me happy right now?"

An impish smile played around her lips. "What would that be?"

He growled low in her ear. "If you would quit prancing around in front of me in nothing but that towel and go put some clothes on. My willpower is fairly strong, but even I have my limits. And while I would like nothing more than stay here curled up with you all day, the fact remains that if we don't show up at that breakfast we're going to have a lot of people banging on our door. And your father will probably be leading the angry mob."

Serena giggled. "You're not still scared of daddy, are you? I thought you two were getting along better."

Darien shook his head. "We've progressed to the stage where we can be civil to one another, but he still gives me death glares whenever he can. I don't really blame him though. He thinks I stole his little girl away from him."

She gave him a quick kiss and then slipped out of his arms and into the bedroom. "Don't worry. Mom and I will protect you from my big, bad dad. Now what should I wear?"

Darien looked down at the blue jeans and crimson Harvard hoodie he was wearing. "Keep it simple, okay. This is the way I'm going, and I don't want to look like a bum next to you."

She smiled and patted his cheek. "Sweetie, you always look good. You could never look like a bum."

He grinned evilly and reached into the closet. "Well, I guess I could change into something else."

"Nooo!" Serena screeched and lunged for the green jacket that he had pulled out. "Please don't wear that thing, Darien! Please, please, please, don't!"

He rolled his eyes. "You really can't stand my jacket, can you? What's wrong with it? It's a perfectly good jacket. It's even Christmassy looking since it's green."

"It is NOT!" she shrieked. "Christmas green is bright and pretty. That _thing_ looks like pea soup! It's hideous and it doesn't suit you at all. Anyway, what you're wearing is red and looks perfectly Christmassy."

He burst into laughter. "Calm down, Sere. I was just joking. I have no intentions of wearing that jacket today."

She glared at him as she snatched a pair of jeans and a sweater from the closet. "You're so not funny, Darien. And you know better than to pick on me before I've had my coffee."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. See, I'm putting it away." He hung the jacket back up. As he pulled back his arm brushed against a garment bag. "Hey, is this the dress you bought for tonight?"

A sly smile crossed Serena's face. "Yes, as a matter of fact it is."

He began to lift the plastic. "Can I have a look?"

She giggled and pushed his hand away. "No, I want it to be a surprise for tonight, so you'll have to wait and see it then."

He arched a brow at her. "You sure are being secretive. What's the big deal? It's just a dress."

She closed the closet doors firmly. "Maybe it is just a dress, but I want to wait and let you see it on me tonight."

"Fine," he sighed. "I'll wait. Now hurry up and get ready. I'm a little hungry myself this morning and I'm looking forward to breakfast."

* * *

"There are Santa's little helpers!" Kathleen Furuhata cried as Andrew and Jess came through the door that led to the stairs. "I was beginning to wonder about you two. I thought I was going to have to come up there with the jaws of life and pry you apart."

Andrew laughed at his mother while Jess ducked her head as her face flamed red. Despite her best efforts the shower had taken a little longer than planned.

Lizzy whirled by with a stack of plates. "Don't pay any attention to mom. She hasn't had her morning medication yet."

"Watch it, missy!" Kathleen mock scolded as she shook a spoon at her daughter. "It's not too late for me to take back all of the gifts I got you and exchange them for something for myself instead."

Lizzy gasped in an overly dramatic fashion. "You wouldn't dare!"

Kathleen tossed her red head, causing the jingle bell at the end of the Santa hat she was wearing to tinkle merrily. "Oh yeah, just try me. Or better yet, I'll just give all of your gifts to Jess. She's practically family now."

Andrew gritted his teeth as he saw his mother look deliberately at Jess's left hand. It seemed his father hadn't wasted any time filling his wife in on what their son had planned. He should have known better. The Furuhatas were cursed with a gene that made keeping a secret almost impossible. He just hoped that his parents had been smart enough to not tell Lizzy and that neither of them accidentally let anything slip.

"Anyway, you two lazybones get over here and get some caffeine in your system. We have a lot to still do," Kathleen said as she set two cups on the counter. "Let's see, a vanilla latte for my college grad and a peppermint mocha for my new favorite daughter." She stuck her tongue out at Lizzy.

"Thank you," Jess said softly as she shuffled over and picked up the hot beverage offered to her. She smiled shyly at her boyfriend's mother before wandering over to the large front windows to look out at the winter morning as she sipped her drink.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Andrew leaned across the counter and hissed at his mother.

"Oh, don't get bent out of shape," Kathleen whispered back to him. "I'm not going to blow your surprise, but I'm trying to make her feel a part of this family. She doesn't have any family of her own to spend the holidays with after all."

That made Andrew pause for a moment. "Oh, thanks mom. But try not to lay it on too thick. She hates for people to make a fuss over her."

Kathleen patted his hand. "Okay, honey. But I do have one thing to say."

"What's that?" he asked.

His mother pinned him with serious hazel eyes. "That girl is absolutely perfect for you. You better have that ring on her finger by the time you two show up at the house for Christmas dinner tomorrow or I may have to get down on my knees myself and beg her to join the family. You need her, Drew-baby. So don't lose her."

He grinned at her. "Don't worry, mom. Letting her go is the furthest thing from my mind."

About that time, Poppa Andy came bustling through the swinging doors from the kitchen bearing a large tray of muffins. The burly blonde man frowned at his son, but his brown eyes sparkled with humor. "So I see you decided to stop being a bum and get down here. Those pancakes aren't going to cook themselves you know."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. Come on, Jess," he said, grabbing her hand and dragging her behind him to the kitchen. "You can help me with the pancakes."

She giggled as she followed them. "You mean I can watch you while you make them. Trust me, nobody would be able to stomach any pancakes I attempt to make."

As the sound of their laughter disappeared into the kitchen, the senior Furuhatas turned to smile gleefully at one another.

"What is up with you two?" Lizzy asked as she looked back and forth between her parents, who she had finally decided had gone off their rockers. "Have you guys gone mental?"

Kathleen waved a hand at her. "No, dear. We're just in a good mood. It is Christmas after all."

"Riigghhtt!" Lizzy drawled and then turned to the glass doors as they swished open to see Serena and Darien walk in. "Hey guys! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" Serena gushed excitedly as she rushed around to give hugs to them all. She squealed in delight when Andy produced the bowl from where he had made his double chocolate chip muffins and handed it to her with a wink. There was still plenty of batter left clinging to the sides.

"I saved this especially for you," he told her in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Thank you so much! It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without this." She ran her finger around the edge of the bowl and then licked the batter from it. "So where are Jess and Drew hiding this morning?"

Andy jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "They're in the kitchen. Drew's on pancake duty."

Lizzy snorted as she walked by. "And if you want any of those pancakes to be edible, Serena, I would suggest an intervention. There's no telling what they're doing in there, and I admit that I'm too much of a coward to find out."

A mischievous smile appeared on Serena's face. "Don't worry, I'll save the pancakes."

She grabbed Darien by the hand and walked over to the kitchen door where she swung it open with a bang and yelled, "PDA police! I want at least three feet of space between the boys and the girls at all times!"

She blinked, expecting to see Jess and Drew jumping apart from each other with guilty faces. But instead she was surprised to find Andrew busy stirring a bowl of pancake batter while Jess leaned casually against the counter next to him. They were both staring at her like she was an alien from another planet.

Behind her, Darien chuckled. "I guess your help wasn't needed after all. Your precious pancakes look to be in good hands."

Jess rolled her eyes. "You're demented, Serena! Believe it or not Drew and I are capable of behaving ourselves when the occasion calls for it. I bet Lizzy was the one who sent you in here, wasn't she?"

"That brat!" Andrew grumbled. "When is she ever going to start acting her age? Sometimes I think my life would be much easier if I was an only child."

"I heard that!" Lizzy yelled over Serena's shoulder. "Some big brother you are!" Her voice shook with suppressed humor.

"Can it, twerp!" Andrew called back with a laugh.

Jess shook her head. "I'm surprised your parents survived raising both of you without ending up in the crazy house. I would have lost my mind a long time ago." Then she patted the pockets of her jeans. "Crap! I must have left my phone upstairs. I'll be right back."

"Are you expecting a call or something?" Andrew teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Maybe. My aunt and uncle may be content with just sending me a Christmas card, but my cousin, Brad, always calls me when we don't spend the holiday together and I don't want to miss his call." She left the kitchen quickly.

Serena slapped a hand to her forehead. "Speaking of phones, I think I left mine in the car." She turned to Darien with pleading eyes. "Sweetie, do you think you could…"

"I'm on it," Darien said with a chuckle. He hurried through the arcade and dashed out to his red car where he found Serena's silver cell phone resting in the cup holder. He grabbed it up and turned to go back inside when something made him look up.

He saw Jess sitting on the edge of the roof, gazing out over the early morning city. As he watched her he saw her raise a hand to swipe at her cheeks. Changing his direction, he ducked around the side of the building. A quick look assured him that no one was around to see him before he tapped into his alter ego's powers to leap up onto the roof.

He landed as silently as a cat, but Jess's head still snapped around as his feet touched the roof. When she saw it was him, she turned away quickly.

"What are you doing up here?" she asked in a slightly rough voice.

He shrugged. "I could ask you the same thing. I happened to see you up here and thought you looked upset. Do you want to talk about it?"

She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I don't know. There's probably not much to say. I'm just being stupid."

Darien took a seat next to her. "Is everything going okay with Andrew?"

She nodded. "Yeah, everything's great. In fact, my life is pretty close to being perfect right now. It's just…"

"Just what?" he prompted her gently.

She let out a shaky sigh. "It's just that Christmas was always a big deal when I was growing up. My mom and dad always made a huge production of it. It was always my favorite time of the year. Everybody was so happy. And then…then they died."

Ah, now Darien knew where she was coming from. Being an orphan himself, he had viewed the holidays with mixed feelings for years, until he met Serena. "You miss them, huh?"

She shrugged. "That an everyday thing for me. I'm used to that part. It's just that for the last couple of years Christmas hasn't been that big of a deal. I mean, Dawn always came to visit me and I had Nebula, but it was hardly different than any other day. Now being here, and being around the Furuhatas, it feels strange. I almost feel like I'm intruding on their perfect little family traditions; like I'm the poor little orphan girl that's trying to steal someone else's family for her own."

She looked up at him with slightly reddened, tear bright eyes. "Am I being ridiculous? They've been so great to me, but I feel like I'm taking advantage of them."

Darien put an arm around her shoulders. "You're not being ridiculous. I used to feel the same way. I avoided coming to this breakfast for the first couple of years that I knew Andrew because I felt out of place. But once Serena and I got together she insisted on me coming with her. It felt strange the first year or so, but then it grew on me. And you're not taking advantage of anyone. This is just the way the Furuhatas are. They reach out to everyone and treat them as family. You'll get used to it in time."

She smiled and hugged him tightly around the waist. "Thanks, Darien. I feel much better now. That was exactly what I needed to hear."

Loud, bickering voices floated up to them, and Jess looked down to the sidewalk and then giggled. "It looks like Raye and Jadeite have arrived."

Darien shook his head. "That idiot! I wonder what he did to piss her off this time. You'd think he would have learned better by now." He stood and offered a hand to Jess. "I guess we better get back downstairs before Serena and Andrew send out a search party after us."

She took his hand and let him pull her up. "Can we keep this little conversation between us? I'd rather Drew not know that I was upset. He takes things so much to heart."

"My lips are sealed," Darien declared as he made a zippering motion across his mouth and presented his arm to her.

Jess laughed a true, genuine laugh as she looped her arm through his and let him lead her back down to where her new extended family was.

* * *

Serena stared at herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the closet door and chewed on her bottom lip in indecision. The dress that she had been so excited about buying the day before now seemed like a huge mistake. She tugged at the neckline as she frowned at her reflection.

The dress was beautiful; there was no doubt about that. But it was just so…different from what she usually wore. Her normal style was much simpler and subdued. This was sleek and sophisticated; two words that she never used to describe herself.

"Why did I listen to Jess on this?" she moaned softly. "I can't pull this off. I'm just going to change into one of my older dresses and go with that."

'_Don't you dare back out of this!' _she swore she could hear Jess's voice in her head scolding her as she reached for a white satin number that she had only worn once before.

"Sere, are you almost ready?" Darien asked as he knocked on the door. "We've got to be leaving soon."

"I'll be out in just a minute," she called in a slightly higher voice than usual.

"Is everything okay?" he returned, sounding a little concerned.

She turned back to the mirror to look at herself again. One of the reasons why she had decided on this dress was because both Jess and the saleslady had commented on how much older it made her look. Zoicite had invited a few doctors from the hospital to the party tonight and these people would soon be Darien's coworkers. She didn't want to embarrass him by looking like she should still be in high school.

"Everything's fine," she answered him firmly as she replaced the white satin on the rack. Her decision had been made. She was walking into this party tonight looking like the future wife of a doctor she was. There would be no snickering in the hallways of Tokyo General about how childish Dr. Shields' fiancé was.

She picked up her purse and squared her shoulders as she reached for the doorknob. She opened the door and came face to face with a pair of deep ocean blue eyes that seemed to suck her in.

Darien grinned. "Hey! I was beginning to wonder if…" his voice trailed off as his gaze traveled down the length of her.

Serena giggled as his mouth fell open. She turned slowly in a circle to give him the full view. "Well, what do you think?"

His throat moved as he gulped hard. "What do I think? I think…WOW…I'm thinking I wish we didn't have this party to go to. I'm not sure if I want anyone else seeing such perfection. You look fabulous!"

She blushed a little. "Do you really think so?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "I know so."

His appreciative gaze took in every detail. Her dress was a simple slip of gold silk, overlaid with a dress made of sheer red lace that allowed the gold to show through. The lace over gown had long fitted sleeves and a modest neckline which her pale, creamy skin showed through and ended a couple of inches above her knees. Her long legs were encased in silken stockings and she wore black heels. She had pulled her blonde hair back into a French twist and left a few tendrils loose to curl around her face that was tastefully made up.

"So I take it I have your stamp of approval then," she whispered softly.

"Oh you more than have my approval," he told her huskily. Every time I think you can't get any more beautiful, you prove me wrong. I'll be the envy of everyone at the party tonight."

Her flush increased. "Now you're just being overly dramatic. I don't think I've heard so much bull spill out of your mouth since the Silver Millennium."

He smiled her favorite crooked smile. "What kind of prince would I be if I didn't let my princess know how stunning she looks? You take my breath away, Serenity."

She laughed lightly and reached up to smooth back the stubborn black hair that always fell into his eyes no matter how much he combed it. "And you take mine away as well, Endymion. You look very dashing tonight."

Her eyes drank him in; the way his black suit molded itself to his tall, slim, yet muscular body. His snowy white shirt contrasted sharply with his lightly tanned skin and a lovely silk tie, the same red as the roses his alter ego threw, was knotted neatly at his throat.

He chuckled and pressed a light kiss to her cherry red lips. "I guess we better get going then before we both stand here and die of asphyxiation. We still have to swing by and pick up Drew and Jess."

She looked up, surprised. "Oh! I figured Drew would drive his own car."

Darien shrugged as they walked into the entry hall and he held up her long white coat for her to slip her arms into. "He said the car was making a funny noise and he didn't want to chance taking it out, so he asked if they could hitch a ride with us."

A big smile appeared on Serena's face. "I can't wait to see Drew's reaction to Jess's dress. She's going to knock his socks off."

* * *

"Get a grip, man. You're acting like an adolescent schoolboy trying to work up enough guts to ask out the girl you have a crush on. Grow a set already and get over it!" Andrew grumbled to himself as he stared at the black velvet ring box in his hand that he had retrieved from the arcade's safe earlier.

Honestly he didn't know why he was letting himself get so worked up about this. It was just as Darien said the day before, he knew that Jess loved him deeply, and he couldn't imagine any scenario where she would turn him down, but there was still one small part of him that worried about what would happen if she said no.

It wasn't as if he was asking her to walk down the aisle with him tomorrow. She still had a few semesters of school left, and he was willing to wait until she finished if that was what she wanted. He also knew that she was completely devoted to him, but his male ego wanted his ring on her finger to tell the world that she was his.

"Hey, baby, can you come here for a minute?" Jess's voice floated down the hall from the bedroom to reach him where he stood in the middle of his living room.

He shoved the ring box into his pocket. "Yeah, I'm coming," he answered her.

He paused outside the bedroom door for a moment to take a calming breath and listened to the voices inside.

"You know, this would be a lot easier if you could help me," Jess was griping.

A slightly condescending voice answered her. "Well it's not my fault that I lack opposable thumbs. That is one of the things I like about being a cat, I don't ever have to worry about what I'm going to wear. I have a fur coat that I never have to change."

"Keep it up, hairball, and I'll gladly separate you from that fur coat," Jess growled.

Andrew chuckled as he stepped into the room. "Is she giving you a hard time, Nebula?"

The rust colored cat perched on the foot of the bed sniffed haughtily. "When does she not? I guess I should be used to it after all of these years. She's been heaping verbal abuse on my head since the first day I met her. I'll never forget that first day, actually. My ears are still ringing from her screech."

"Well excuse me for being wigged out by a cat suddenly opening her mouth and talking to me!" Jess's irritated voice came from the bathroom. "This dress is pissing me off!"

"What's the matter, darling?" Andrew asked as he cautiously approached the door.

His breath caught in his throat and almost strangled him when he saw her. She was standing in front of the vanity wearing a silky little red hot number paired with wicked looking black heels. Her long hair had been left down and it floated around her in a curly cloud of dark, burnished gold. The red of her dress brought out warm, coppery highlights in the waist length tresses.

She stood with her back to him, but he could see the frustration on her face in her reflection in the mirror as she reached an arm back over her shoulder in an attempt to grasp the tiny zipper that was supposed to close up the back of her dress.

Andrew couldn't help but smile. "Need a little help?"

She met his gaze with one that was half exasperated and half relieved. "Please."

He stepped up behind her and slid the zipper up before landing a kiss right behind her ear. "You look absolutely gorgeous."

Her face flushed as she looked down. "Do you really think so?"

"Definitely," he proclaimed seriously. "You always look beautiful to me though."

Her blush deepened. "Thank you," she murmured. "You look very nice too."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered as he tugged at the collar of his white shirt. "I feel like I'm slowly strangling to death."

"Stop that!" she scolded him as she turned around and reached up to straighten the forest green tie he was wearing and smoothed the lapels of his charcoal gray suit. "There! Now you look perfect."

"Perfectly ridiculous," he grouched. "I honestly don't see how guys like Kunzite can go around wearing this stuff all the time. It's stifling."

Jess rolled her eyes at him. "Then what in the world did you go into business for? I hate to break it to you, sweetie, but businessmen are usually expected to wear suits and ties quite a bit. And you don't look ridiculous, you look hot."

A wicked grin tilted his lips as he jerked her tightly against him. "I'm not nearly as hot as you. One look and I go up in flames."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Oh yeah, well little green plastic army men don't stand a chance with you around. They melt into goo if they come within twenty feet of you. And don't worry about your uncomfortable clothes, I'll help you out of them later."

He chuckled at her mischievous look. "Is that a threat?"

She shook her head. "That's a promise." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to hers.

Their lips had barely brushed when a growl came from the door. "Oh for the love of the goddess! If you two are going to start acting like a couple of hormonal teenagers then I'm going to take myself to Elysian."

Jess waved a dismissive hand in Nebula's direction. "Then go instead of standing there griping about it. You're seriously killing the mood."

Nebula arched her back and hissed menacingly before disappearing in a flash of white light.

Andrew grinned at the woman in his arms. "Well that got rid of her. Now where were we?"

"Right about here," Jess whispered as she pulled him into a deep kiss.

"We're here!" Serena's voice rang through the apartment as the front door banged open.

"Somebody up there hates me," Jess groaned as she laid her head on Andrew's shoulder. "Why do we have an open door policy with them again?"

Andrew sighed and kissed the top of her head. "Because they are our best friends. But their timing sucks. I guess we better go."

Jess reluctantly stepped out of his arms. "I'll be right there. I just need to put my earrings in."

He left the room and she turned back to the mirror and picked up one of the gold snowflake earrings she was going to wear. She had just inserted it in her earlobe when she heard Serena's voice saying in amusement, "Why don't you look nice, Drew. I particularly like that shade of lipstick on you. It's very becoming."

Jess froze, staring blankly at her reflection. Sure enough, the candy apple red lipstick that she had carefully applied earlier had been smudged and smeared across her mouth, and some of it was missing completely.

To her surprise she heard Andrew laugh. "You're one to talk. Darien's lips seem to be doing a good job of matching yours as well."

"What!" Serena shrieked.

There was the sound of hurrying footsteps, and then Serena appeared in the bathroom doorway. She elbowed her way in beside Jess and pulled a tube of red lipstick from her handbag before leaning toward the mirror to put on a fresh layer. Her slightly annoyed light blue eyes met Jess's sparkling dark blue ones in the mirror.

"Don't say a word," Serena growled menacingly to her best friend and former daughter.

Jess tried to look innocent. "I wasn't going to say anything. I don't have to. I can just sit back and watch you hang yourself." Her lips twitched as she tried to hold back a laugh.

Serena couldn't stop the giggle that escaped her and within seconds they had both dissolved into laughter.

"Hey, are we going or what?" Darien asked from the doorway.

The two women looked up to find both him and Andrew standing there watching them with amused expressions. Thankfully the two of them were now blissfully lipstick free.

"Yes, we're going," Serena answered as she carefully dabbed the corners of her eyes. Then she smiled mischievously as she held up her lipstick. "Are you sure you guys don't need a touch up first?"

* * *

A few hours later Serena groaned as she slid into the passenger seat of Darien's car. She slid her shoes off and rubbed her aching feet. "My feet are killing me! But that was a great party, wasn't it? Everything was perfect."

Darien nodded as he keyed the ignition. "Yeah, it was great. Lita really outdid herself this time on the food. I don't think a professional catering company could have done any better."

"And the music," Serena sighed happily. "It was nice to dance in your arms again, even if my feet are paying the price for it now."

He gave her a sympathetic look. "You could have kicked those shoes off and danced barefooted. I wouldn't have minded."

She winced as her fingers pressed against her tender arch. "I probably would have if it had just been our regular group. But there were all of those business associates that the guys work with and the doctors from the hospital. I didn't want to seem childish in front of them."

Darien snorted a little. "Trust me, nobody would mistake you for a child after seeing you in that dress. You presented yourself as being a refined and sophisticated woman tonight, except for that one spat you had with Raye when you blew the raspberry at her. But we won't count that because nobody saw it but me."

She sat back with a sigh. "Then I accomplished what I set out to do. And it's worth every ache and pain. I wasn't going to have those stuffy doctors running back to the hospital and talking about how one of the youngest doctors ever hired there is engaged to a klutzy, air-headed blonde."

He reached out and cupped her cheek in his palm as he turned her face toward him. "Is that what this whole production was all about? Sweetheart, you know that I never expect you to be anything but yourself. I love you just the way you are."

She put her hand over his. "I know that. This wasn't just about making you look good. I had an ulterior motive."

He arched a brow at her. "And what would that be?"

She smiled impishly. "To drive you crazy. You've hardly been able to keep your eyes off of me all night."

He growled at her. "You've driven me crazy all right. You just wait until I get you home. Then you're going to pay for torturing me like this."

She shivered in anticipation, but kept her voice teasing. "You're going to rub my feet for me, right?"

"I'm going to rub more than your feet," he threatened as he put the car in gear.

As they pulled out of the parking garage, Serena saw two figures in the distance walking down the snow-covered sidewalk toward the park. "I still can't believe that Drew wanted to walk home. And I can't believe Jess went along with the crazy idea. It's freezing cold tonight. They would have gotten home quicker if they had ridden with us."

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Darien said, keeping his voice light and his eyes forward.

Something in his tone caught Serena's attention. "You know something," she accused.

"I know nothing," he protested. "Ouch!" he cried when Serena grabbed his ear and twisted it. Instead of letting go, she held on tightly like a tenacious pit bull. He carefully pulled the car over to the curb before he wrecked it.

"You do know something," Serena hissed in a soft, deadly voice. "You can try to hide it from me all you want, Darien Shields, but I know you too well. Now spill!"

He flinched away from her dangerously glittering eyes. "I really can't say anything, Serena. Andrew made me promise not to say anything until it was a done deal."

"Ah ha!" she crowed in triumph. "I knew that something was going on. The two of you were sharing secretive looks between each other all night. Well you can keep secrets from everyone else, but not from me. I want know what's going on." She twisted his ear again for good measure.

"Ow, ow, ow!" he yelled in pained exasperation. "Okay, okay! You win! Drew is going to ask Jess to marry him! Are you happy now?"

Serena let go of him immediately and stared at him with wide, surprised eyes. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

Darien rubbed his offended ear. "Yes I did. I'm talking the whole nine yards; down on one knee with a ring and everything."

Serena clapped her hands and bounced in her seat. Her eyes sparkled excitedly. "Oh I can't wait! It's so terribly romantic! I'm going to be on pins and needles until she calls me with the good news. The suspense is going to kill me."

"I'm sure you'll survive," Darien drawled dryly. "Now can I continue on home now, or are you going to inflict more bodily damage on me?"

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed as she leaned over and placed several kisses on his reddened ear. "I didn't mean to get so rough."

He shivered as her tongue licked at his ear lobe. He groaned and slammed the car into gear. "Hold that thought for a few more minutes until we get home."

She giggled and blew a warm breath in his ear. "I can hardly wait."

* * *

"The moon and the stars are so bright tonight," Jess said softly as she leaned her head back to look up at the dark sky. "I almost feel like I could reach out and touch them. They are so beautiful."

Andrew turned his head to look at her. "They're not as beautiful as you are." He smiled as her already pink cheeks flushed deeper.

She settled back against the cushioned seat with a sigh. "So this was why you decided you wanted to walk home, huh? I thought you were crazy at first, but this is nice."

His smile grew. "So I guess I have your stamp of approval then. I thought it was a nice way to end the night."

Every year, as soon as the first snow fell, horse drawn sleigh rides were available in the park. The company that provided them also went along the path that they used and strung up thousands upon thousands of twinkling white lights. All in all it was a magical, fairytale-like experience. And on Christmas Eve they ran until midnight.

They rode in silence for several minutes, simply enjoying the peacefulness and each other's company. Jess scooted over until she could rest her head on Andrew's shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her. All too soon, the sleigh came to a stop.

"Here we are folks," the driver said as he turned with a grin. "You two are my last customers for the night."

"Thank you," Andrew replied as he got out of the sleigh and then helped Jess out. "You have a Merry Christmas."

The driver tipped his hat to them. "Same to you." He jiggled the reins and clucked to his horse and drove away whistling 'Jingle Bells'.

Jess giggled as she pulled the collar of her coat up around her neck. "At least he was nice enough to let us off here near the arcade so we don't have to walk to whole way. As nice as the ride was, I'm ready to get home and warm up a bit."

Andrew took her hand in his. "A little cold for you?"

She smiled. "Just a little. One of the by-products of spending most of my life in southern California I guess. Of course I spent the last two winters in New York, and it was like the arctic tundra there."

A clock began striking midnight somewhere in the distance and Jess squealed in delight. "Oh! It's Christmas Day!"

Andrew swallowed hard and shoved his hand into his pocket where the ring had been practically burning him all night. The timing couldn't be more perfect. They were alone in an idyllic snow covered setting, surrounded by beautiful twinkling lights and the clear winter night sky overhead. Jess's face was alive with child-like excitement as she listened to the bells ringing in Christmas Day.

As the last toll faded away, Andrew pulled her close against him. "I have something I want to give you," he whispered against her ear.

She laughed lightly and leaned back slightly to look at him. "What, now?"

"Yes, now," he told her. Then he kissed the tip of her nose before dropping to one knee in front of her while holding her left hand tightly.

Jess's mouth fell open in absolute shock. Other than one tiny squeak, no sound came from her. Tears sparkled in her eyes before he even said a single word.

Andrew took a deep breath and looked up at her, letting all of the love he felt for her show on his face and ring in his voice. "I know this may seem sudden to you, but I just had to let you know. I love you more than anything else in this world. You had me hooked from the first day you walked into the arcade and ordered that cherry coke. I know we have an ancient history between us, but what is important to me is our future. You may have been my Melody and my best friend in the past, but now you are my love and I never want to let you go. So Jessica Alexander, I'm asking you this…"

He held out his other hand in which rested the box with the glimmering sapphire ring.

"Would you do me the honor of one day becoming my wife?"

**A/N** Ooo…Andrew popped the question! Of course if any of you have read Lunar Princess or are currently reading GT, you know how it all turns out. I'm going to try to have part 3 up as quickly as possible, but how quick depends on how busy I get with Christmas stuff and how much computer time I can wrangle. If there really is a Santa Clause out there he'll help me out. I'm not asking for a whole new laptop, mine isn't that old, I just need the light bulb replaced so I can see my screen again. Unfortunately I've discovered that those things are freaking expensive! Oh well, I'll just have to work with what I have for now. Don't forget to drop me a review and tell me what you think. Happy Holidays everyone!

~Sere~


	3. December 25

**A/N **A million and one apologies everyone for this being late getting posted. I went out of town for Christmas to visit family and I took my precious flash drive with me in hopes of getting some work done while I was there. My grandmother doesn't have internet at her house, but she does have an ancient old computer that she uses to play Solitaire and Poker on and it also has MS Word on it. Since my laptop is still out of commission I figured I'd work with what I had. I also had hopes that one of my cousins would bring their laptop and wireless card with them so that I could get this to you by Christmas, but they didn't. Then my dum-dum self came home and left my lifeline (aka my flash drive) at my grandmother's and I couldn't drive two and a half hours back there just to get it. And it has everything that I've written on it. Luckily my mom found it and brought it to me, but she just got back into town today so I'm just now getting to post this. Better late than never, right? Anyway, time to hug everyone for reviewing. BIG HUGS TO:

**Seredhiel05**

**saveme57**

**Atem's Sister Atea**

**Tiny2008**

**MeganLeBlanc**

**GoldenDragon326**

**YingYing**

**sabina21**

**Chibi Kitt**

**James Birdsong**

**KageNoNeko**

**moon1234**

**jade2nightwing**

**anime-lover10**

**Slacker Dee**

**Sailor Phoenix1997**

**SailorMercuryROCKS**

**R.I.P. Jake AmaraMichelle**

**CharmedSerenity3**

I hope I didn't forget anybody. If I did I sincerely apologize. Now I'm sure you've heard enough out of me so I'm going to let you get on with the conclusion here.

_**ENJOY!**_

Star Bright Angels

Part 3

December 25

"_Would you do me the honor of one day becoming my wife?"_

Jess's eyes fluttered open as the sound of those words echoed over and over in her head. _'Wow! What a vivid dream,' _she thought as she snuggled up to the solid warmth that was lying next to her. The early morning light that was peeking in around the curtains was just bright enough that she was able to make out the features of the man beside her as she tilted back her head to look at him.

She smiled as she gazed upon Andrew's face. Despite the slight shadow of whiskers that were beginning to darken his jaw, she always though he looked like a little boy when he was sleeping. The way his face was completely relaxed and his sandy hair hung down over his closed eyes was very precious to her.

He didn't so much as twitch a muscle as she reached up and smoothed the stubborn locks back. One thing that Andrew rarely had problems with was sleeping. Where she rarely slept more than a couple of hours at a time without waking up and sometimes suffered from insomnia, Andrew was usually out like a light within ten minutes of his head hitting the pillow and would sleep straight through soundly for at least six hours. And it definitely took more than a simple featherlike touch to wake him.

Stifling a giggle, she gently raised his arm and slipped carefully out of the embrace that she had been sleeping in. It was Christmas morning and they had a lot planned for the day. While she definitely wasn't very helpful in a kitchen as far as cooking went, she was perfectly capable of making coffee. She might not be able to wake her love with breakfast in bed, but she could at least bring him a hot, caffeine-laden drink to help jump-start his system. As much as she would like to stay curled up in his arms for the whole day, she quailed at the thought of how Kathleen Furuhata's wrath would come down on them if they missed out on Christmas dinner.

She shivered as she slid out from under the fluffy warm comforter and bit back a squeal as her bare toes touched the cold floor. Her teeth chattered loudly as she dashed over to the dresser and quickly pulled open a drawer, grabbing the first warm, fluffy articles of clothing she could find before scurrying to the bathroom.

She stripped off the large t-shirt of Andrew's that she had slept in and shimmied into the sweatshirt and pants before sitting on the edge of the tub to pull a pair of thick socks on over her icy feet.

Breathing in a sigh of relief, she went to the sink to brush her teeth and wash her face. She reached up and pulled off the scrunchie that was holding her long hair back. She was reaching for her brush when a glimmer caught her eye. She looked down at her left hand and her eyes widened.

"No way! It was a dream," she whispered, shaking her head as her brain tried to deny what her eyes were telling her. But there was no mistake about it. Resting innocently in the ring finger of her left hand was a delicate gold, silver, and sapphire ring.

Her knees suddenly felt wobbly and she stepped back to lean against the wall behind her as she stared at her hand as if it belonged to someone else. She slid down the wall to sit on the floor as her brain frantically raced to try to make sense out of the events of the night before that she had believed to be a dream until just a few seconds ago.

_*****FLASHBACK*****_

Jess stood frozen as she looked down at Andrew where he knelt before her in the snow. His right hand grasped her left one tightly while he held out a small black box with a gleaming sapphire ring in his other.

She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice had chosen this moment to disappear completely. The silence stretched out for several long seconds as tears burned in her eyes and blurred her vision.

Andrew began to look a little apprehensive. "Jess, baby, are you okay?"

She swallowed convulsively and forced her voice to cooperate. Even then it came out as only a whisper. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

He frowned a little. "You mean when I asked if you were all right?"

She shook her head rapidly, tears flying from her lashes to glitter brightly under the twinkling lights as they fell to the pristine snow. "No!" she choked out. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

His hazel eyes met her blue ones steadily. "If you heard me ask you to marry me, then yes, you heard me right."

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him in shock. She had envisioned this moment so many times since they had gotten together. In her mind she had come up with a dozen different scenarios of how or where Andrew may propose to her, and now that it had arrived she was completely thrown off guard.

He squeezed her hand lightly. "I know this is probably a shock for you, and I'm perfectly content to have a long engagement so that you can finish school if that's what you want. The last thing I want to do is push this on you before you are ready. I just want you to know how much I love you and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But if this is too soon…"

"Yes," she interrupted him suddenly.

He blinked in surprise. "What?"

She smiled through her tears as she dropped down to her knees in front him. She laid a hand on his cheek. "I said yes, you crazy, wonderful man. I do want to wait until I'm done with school first, but yes, I will marry you."

Andrew let out a laugh as he shot to his feet, scooping her up into his arms along the way. He held her tightly as he spun them around, whooping with glee. He then set her back on her feet and removed the sapphire ring from the box to slide it onto her finger. It was a perfect fit.

"I knew from the moment I saw this ring that it was meant for you," he told her softly and kissed the back of her hand.

"It's beautiful," she barely breathed. "I love you so much."

He folded her tenderly into his arms. "I love you too." And then he sealed his proposal with a kiss.

_*****END FLASHBACK*****_

Jess leaned her head back against the wall. "Oh my god! It wasn't a dream. He really did ask me to marry him."

Then her eyes snapped open in shock as her right hand came up to wrap around her throat. "Holy shit! I'm engaged!"

* * *

Darien chuckled as he pulled his hands away from his ears and grinned at the blonde woman wearing fuzzy pink pajamas who was knelt down next to the Christmas tree. "Is it safe for my eardrums if I uncover my ears now?"

A high-pitched squeal erupted from Serena as she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a stranglehold of a hug. "Thank you…Thank you…Thank you!" she gushed, punctuating each thank you with a smacking kiss on his cheek.

He laughed. "I'd always heard that diamonds are a girl's best friend, but you give a whole new meaning to the saying. I take it that you like your gift."

Her eyes glittered with a shine that rivaled that of the stones in the diamond bracelet that she had just unwrapped. "Are you kidding? I adore it! But it makes my gifts to you seem so blasé now."

"Don't be silly," he told her genuinely. "I love the things you got me. It makes me that much more excited about starting my new job."

Serena leaned back in his arms with a brilliant smile. "Dr. Darien Shields, that sounds so distinguished. I just know that you're going to be the best doctor in the history of Tokyo General."

A chuckle rumbled in his chest. "You're biased."

She tossed a long strand of hair behind her shoulder. "So what if I am? I know you're great, and now everyone else will too. It's nice knowing that I'll have you here to take care of me if I ever get sick."

He leaned forward and nuzzled her neck, grinning as a blush rose to the surface of her skin and stained her cheeks pink. She shuddered in his arms as a shiver ran through her. "Uh oh," he murmured. "I'm afraid that you may be coming down with something. You're warm and flushed, and yet you seem to be suffering from chills. Perhaps I should give you a more thorough examination."

Serena slapped at his arm playfully and laughed as she slipped out his embrace and put a few feet of distance between them. "Honestly, Darien! Sometimes I think you have a one-track mind. It seems like every time I turn around you're trying to seduce me."

His grin was positively evil. "And it usually works too."

She scrambled back as he made a grab for her. "Oh no you don't, buddy! We have things to do today. How in the world Rini ends up being our only child is beyond me!" (A/N LOL! Right GT readers? Poor little DJ gets no acknowledgment in this story.)

Darien cringed. "Do we really have to go to your parent's house for Christmas dinner? It would be so much nicer if we just stayed in today."

She turned wide, disbelieving eyes on him. "Of course we have to go. This may be the first Christmas that I'm not living at home, but I'm not skipping out on spending the holiday with my family and getting to eat my mom's wonderful cooking. Why would you even suggest something like that?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter. I was just kidding anyway."

Her eyes narrowed. "How come I get the feeling that there's more to this than you're letting on? What are you not telling me?"

He waved her off. "It's nothing. In fact it's not even worth repeating. I don't know why I let it bother me."

"Let what bother you?" she insisted as she folded her arms across her chest.

He gulped and began hesitantly. "Well…your dad kind of…um…"

"I knew it!" Serena groaned. "I knew he had to be behind this. I saw him talking to you at the breakfast yesterday. So what kind of bodily injury did he threaten you with this time?"

Darien winced. "It was worse than usual. He threatened to kill me slowly and painfully by first disemboweling me and then beheading me."

"Wow!" Serena exclaimed in surprise. "That's a little bloodthirsty for daddy. He usually sticks with busted heads and broken limbs. I'll talk to mom about it. Daddy is just going to have to accept the truth. I am nineteen years old and I am an adult. He may not like the idea of me being with a man, but for crying out loud, we've been together for five years now. It's not like I ran away from home to move in with some guy I barely know. He really needs to get over this. So what set him off this time?"

Darien heaved a sigh. "I don't think it was so much that something set him as much as I think he was looking for a reason to find fault with me. I was talking to Andrew's dad about starting work at the hospital and how my hours are going to be crazy for a while. Then your dad jumped in and said that he wasn't comfortable with the idea of you being here at the apartment alone whenever I had to work night shifts and that if I cared for you as much as I claimed to that I would encourage you to move back home where it was safer. Do you know how hard it was for me to stand there and not tell him that I would be more concerned about anybody that was stupid enough to try to break in on you than I would be for you?"

A peal of laughter burst from her. "That sounds like something that daddy would say. I don't think it would make a difference even if he knew that I was Sailor Moon. Try not to read too much into it, sweetie. He's always trying to find some way to blackmail me into moving home, but I'm not going anywhere."

"He'll probably poison my food today," he grumbled.

"Oh, stop it!" Serena chastised as she slapped playfully at his arm. "Daddy's all bark and no bite. He would never do anything to you because he knows that it would hurt me. Besides, mom will keep him in line. Let's just try to enjoy our day."

He grinned at her. "You're right. Your father should be a piece of cake compared to some of the enemies we've faced in the past. I just wish he wasn't so…graphic with the descriptions of how he would like to torture me."

Serena tried to smother a smile. "I think it's just a man thing when it comes to their daughters. I'm sure one day Rini will be sitting around with Helios having a similar discussion about you."

A low growl rumbled in his chest as he thought about his future daughter and the Elysian priest that she had been enamored with since she was a preteen. That was a subject that he didn't want to think about at the moment.

This brought a smile to his fiancé's face. "That's just what I thought. You don't like Rini being with Helios any more than my dad likes me being with you, despite the fact that Helios is one of your closest friends. You even get touchy sometimes about Jess and Drew being together, and she's not even our daughter in this lifetime."

"Okay, okay. I get your point," he muttered. "I can see where your father is coming from."

Serena tilted her head thoughtfully. "You know, speaking of Jess and Drew, I figured I would have gotten a phone call by now. When was he planning on asking her?"

Darien shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't ask for the details. I figured it would be last night after the party from the way he was acting, but he may have chickened out. He was really nervous about asking her."

"Poor guy," she sympathized. "I guess the anticipation could be a nerve racking experience. Were you nervous before you proposed to me?"

He nodded slowly. "I was terrified."

She looked shocked. "But why? Even without knowing what our future holds you had to have known that I would say yes."

"Oh, I had no doubt that you would marry me." He smirked at her. "Eventually. But I had no way of knowing if it was the right time to ask you or not. We may know the path our lives travel down, but we have no idea what happens along the way. I may have proposed at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Not that I think you would have ever turned me down flat, but you may have decided that you weren't ready for that step yet and that you wanted more time with us just being boyfriend and girlfriend. There was a lot to consider."

She scrunched her nose up at him. "I guess so. But I seriously doubt Andrew has anything to worry about. He and Jess are two halves of a whole. The only thing I see her doing when he asks her is her crying and throwing herself into his arms."

Darien chuckled as Serena's cell phone began to ring. "Well here's your chance to find out. I'd be willing to bet money that Jess is on the other end of that line."

She scrambled to grab her phone off the coffee table and then stuck her tongue out at him after she checked the display screen and saw that it was indeed Jess that was calling her. She flipped it open and pressed it to her ear. "Merry Christmas, Little Miss Sunshine!"

The other end was silent except for the sound of soft, gasping breaths. "Jess, are you there?"

"Serena?" a quiet voice finally whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't know who else to call."

* * *

Jess cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder as she took a sip of her quadruple shot peppermint mocha from her trembling cup. She curled up on the cushioned seat of a booth in the empty arcade and stared out the large plate glass at the snowy Christmas morning. Normally the streets would be packed with traffic by this time, but with it being a holiday there were no cars dashing back and forth.

"What's the matter?" Serena's voice came through the phone. "Is something wrong?"

She sucked in a steadying breath. "No, nothing's wrong. I'm just a little bit…in shock. I needed someone to talk to and you were the first person I thought of. I suppose normally a girl would call her mother at a time like this, but considering my circumstances I guess my best friend who just happens to be my mother from my past life will do just fine."

Serena laughed. "Well I'm glad I'm good for something. So what's on your mind? Did Andrew pop the question or something?"

Jess's mouth fell open in surprise. "You knew, didn't you? You knew what he had planned."

"Not exactly," Serena hedged. "I wrangled the big secret out of Darien last night after the party, but neither one of us knew when or where the main event would take place. So what did you say to him?"

Jess snorted derisively. "Well what do you think I said to him? I said yes, of course!" She held the phone away from her ear as Serena erupted into a flurry of squeals. "Good grief! How much caffeine have you had this morning?"

A raspberry blew over the line at her. "Don't be such a killjoy! This should be one of the happiest times in your life. So why do you sound so down?"

"I'm not down!" Jess protested. "I'm ecstatic actually. It's just that…" She paused for a moment. "Like I said before, I think I'm in shock. This is a huge step. I've dreamed for a long time of Drew asking me to marry him, but I guess part of me never believed that it would really happen. I thought last night was something that I had dreamed. But then I woke up this morning and there was a ring on my finger and I realized that was real. I hyperventilated for a full ten minutes before I managed to pull myself together enough to call you."

Serena laughed. "You love him, don't you?"

"Yes," Jess answered without hesitation.

"And you want to marry him, right?" Serena persisted.

"Of course!" Jess replied quickly. "I just…" she mumbled. "I'm overreacting, as usual. I'm such an idiot!"

"You're not an idiot," Serena soothed her. "You're just trying to come to terms with everything. I was a little out of it myself for a day or so after Darien proposed to me. It took me by surprise even though I knew it was coming. But once you've had a chance to let everything sink in you should be fine."

Jess sucked in a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. "I sure hope you're right because right now I feel jumpier than a frog on a hotplate."

Serena chuckled. "Okay, try this. Close your eyes and picture the way you want your life to be ten or twenty years down the road. What do you see?"

"What are you, my shrink now?" Jess mumbled sarcastically.

"Just do it!" Serena demanded.

"Okay, okay. Don't get your panties in a bunch!" Jess grumbled and closed her eyes. "I guess I want pretty much what everybody else wants in life. I hope to be successful in my career and maybe someday have a big house with a dog in the back yard, a nice car in the garage, and, if I ever manage to grow up myself, perhaps a kid or two under my feet."

"And is Andrew there with you?" Serena asked softly.

A smile tilted Jess's lips. "Oh yeah, he's there with me every step of the way."

Serena snorted. "So why are you sitting here on the phone with me instead of being with him? You obviously know what you want, and you've taken the first step toward getting it. This is a happy day! You should be waking him up with kisses and coffee."

Jess's eyes flew open. She felt a soothing, calm sensation settle in the pit of her stomach. "You're absolutely right. I need to let you go. I'm going to go wake up my _fiancé_. It is Christmas morning after all." Then she giggled happily. "Oh my gosh! I have a fiancé!"

"Go get him, girl!" Serena laughed. "But I expect to hear details later and I want to see that ring. Darien tried to explain it to me, but men can be so obtuse about things like that. I'm sure his description didn't do it justice at all."

"I'll be sure to fill you in," Jess promised. "I'll catch you later. Bye!"

She hung up and hurried to the espresso machine to make Andrew's favorite vanilla latte. She laughed quietly to herself as she climbed the stairs to the second floor apartment. What a difference a year made. A year ago she had been miserable and alone in New York living with an aunt and uncle that gave her a wide berth because they knew that she was different. She had kept herself busy training and preparing for the fight that she had known would be waiting for her once she returned to her true home in Tokyo. The day of her eighteenth birthday she had packed her belongings and boarded a plane to Japan. She had never looked back since.

Little did she know exactly how much her life would change. Instead of just embarking on a mission to protect a mysterious princess and her crystal, she had found Andrew and had been drawn into an extensive network of friends. And the further revelation of her past only tied her that much closer to the important people in her life. She now had a family.

She let herself into the apartment and balanced the two cups in one hand as she opened the bedroom door. After depositing the coffees on the bedside table, she climbed onto the bed next to the sleeping man. Then, just like a reversal of Sleeping Beauty, the princess leaned down to kiss the slumbering prince.

* * *

"Whoops!" Andrew exclaimed as he gently took Jess's arm to prevent her from falling. "Be careful, there are still some icy patches around."

She pressed her face against his shoulder to smother a giggle. "I'm not sure if it's the ice or that drink I had. Your dad makes a mean egg nog."

He chuckled. "I warned you about that before you took it. Dad's got some Irish and Scottish in him from a couple of generations ago, so he takes his drink making very seriously. It's an art form to him."

She pushed some stray hair away from her flushed cheeks. "I can tell. I'm all warm and fuzzy inside. But it was sweet of him to propose a toast to us. And your mom was so happy that she looked like she was ready to pop. I lost count of how many times she hugged me today."

Andrew rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. They have a tendency to overdo things. I was afraid of that before we went over there. I'm just glad that you didn't run screaming from the house after the first five minutes."

Jess wrapped both of her arms around his. "No, they were great. It was nice of them to make me feel like I'm already a member of the family. I was kind of worried how they would accept me now that we're engaged."

He threw back his head and laughed. "Are you kidding? Everybody loves you! You have that natural bubbly personality that draws people in."

She elbowed him slightly. "Hey! Don't make me out to be too much of a goody two shoes. You're going to ruin my badass reputation. I've sent grown men twice my size fleeing in fear for their lives."

"All right, all right," he said placatingly. "I know that you can kick major ass. But I also know that there is another side to you. You're warm, loving, and fiercely loyal to those that you care about. I think my life would be very unfulfilling if you hadn't come into it."

She came to a stop at his words. They had just reached the bridge over the pond in the center of the park. Her eyes glimmered with tears as she looked up at him. "You are so sweet. Damn it! You're going to make me cry again!"

He used his thumbs to brush away the moisture that had gathered at the corners of her eyes. "I don't mind as long as they are tears of happiness." He gave her a tender smile. "The stars are reflecting in your eyes. Right now you look just like an angel; my very own personal angel that I can hold onto for the rest of my life."

More tears shimmered to the surface and spilled over as she melted against him. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and laid his cheek against her hair as they stood there in the starlit night.

* * *

"Now see, today wasn't bad at all," Serena insisted as she and Darien walked through the park on the way home from her parent's house. "I thought daddy was very nice to you. I didn't hear him say one sarcastic thing or see him glare at you once."

"That's only because your mom kept one eye fixed on him at all times," Darien grumbled. "The man probably feared for his life."

She swatted at him. "Well whatever she did worked. It was a wonderful Christmas! I got to spend it with my family and mom's Christmas dinner was to die for."

A snicker escaped Darien's mouth. "I could tell. I lost count of how many times you refilled your plate after the third or fourth time. Then you demolished half of that pie and a good portion of the cake by yourself. You're lucky that I don't have to take you to the hospital to have your stomach pumped."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Ha ha, very funny! So I have a healthy appetite, you should be used to that by now. Besides, it's not like I'm fat or anything. I'm a perfect size 6."

He answered her eye roll with one of his own. "It's a miracle that you're not diabetic with cholesterol that's through the roof. I hate to think of what kind of shape you would be in if you didn't have the metabolism of a sailor scout and the Silver Crystal to help protect you from yourself."

Serena stopped walking and stood with her arms crossed as she tried to glare angrily at him. "Are we seriously going to spend Christmas night having the same conversation about my eating habits that we've had a thousand times before?"

He shook his head. "No. I'll drop the subject. Besides, I find it incredibly hard to argue with you when you're standing there looking so beautiful."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Now you're just trying to sweet talk me."

"Yes I am," he replied with a grin. "Is it working?"

Her mouth quirked up on one side. "Maybe. Perhaps you should throw out a few more compliments and then we'll see where you stand."

He snaked his arms around her waist and bent her back slightly as he leaned over her. "How about this then? Even as brightly as the stars are shining tonight, they cannot begin to outshine your beauty."

Serena giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm thinking that you should have become a romance writer instead of a doctor. Flattery like that will get you anything you want. But shouldn't you be comparing me to the moon instead of the stars?"

He glanced up at the quarter moon that was glowing softly in the clear night sky and surrounded by twinkling stars. "Normally I would, but tonight the stars are so vibrant that they remind me of you more than the moon does. Right now you seem more like an angel to me rather than a woman or even a princess. You glitter brighter than any star in the sky."

Tears sparkled in Serena's eyes as she pulled his head down to share a short, but sweetly poignant kiss. Then he righted them both and took her hand as he led her toward the bridge that was the shortest route home.

"Hey, isn't that Jess and Drew?" Serena whispered as the bridge came into sight and she saw a couple standing at the foot of it locked in a tight embrace.

"I think you're right," Darien replied as he peered curiously at the couple and identified the man's sandy blonde hair and the deep burnished gold hair of the woman that had her head tucked under the man's chin. "I guess we should go and give them our congratulations."

"Jess! Drew!" Serena called out to them as soon as they were close enough that she wouldn't have to scream at them.

The next few minutes were a flurry of hugs and handshakes as Serena and Darien both offered their well wishes to their friends on their engagement.

After Serena had admired the sapphire ring and made all of the appropriate squeals of delight, she looped her arm through Jess's and led her away across the bridge gushing, "You have to tell me absolutely everything! And don't leave anything out. I want to know every single minute detail. Mina will be sooo jealous that I'm in the know on this before she is. She's liable to start pulling her hair out. It's not often that I get to one up the goddess of love. I can't wait!"

Darien shook his head and chuckled to Andrew. "I guess this is the part where we follow after them."

Andrew grinned and shrugged. "Isn't that what we normally do? It's a good thing that they only look like angels. It would be hard to keep up with them if they could actually fly."

They both shoved their hands into their pockets and began trudging after their frantically talking and laughing future wives, each lost in their thoughts as they watched the object of their affection with loving eyes and each thinking the same thing to themselves.

'_I got the best Christmas present of all. I got my very own Star Bright Angel.'_

THE END

**A/N **And there you have it guys, the end to my little holiday story. I know it was a little late in getting finished, but I still hope that helped brighten your day just a little bit. And now that all the mushy goodness is out of the way the angst monster is ensnaring me in its trap once more. So now I'm off to work on getting some updates ready for GT, Rekindled, and Bad Boys; and not necessarily in that order. But still, this was a fun little story to write and I hope that you enjoyed it. Drop me a review and let me know what you thought. Merry Belated Christmas everyone! And I hope we all have a fantastic 2011! Lots of love and hugs!

~Sere~


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